Mechanism for automatically selecting and severing the terminal threads of a stitched book or the like



July 18, 1953. o. MULLER 1,918,482

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING AND SEVERING THE TERMINAL THREADS OF A STITGHED BOOK OR- THE LIKE Filed Oct. 14, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l Ira/c71 A "OJ/'6, M5238! I Affoi-rrey 18, 1933. O o MULLER 1,918,482 MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING AND SEVERING THE TERMINAL THREADS OF A STITCHED BOOK OR THE LIKE O H Filed 001.. 14, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2O BM g 6/ 5 July 18, 1933. I o. MULLER 1,918,482

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING AND SEVERING THE TERMINAL THREADS OF A STITCHED BOOK. OR THE LIKE Fi1ed 0ot. 14, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Attorney July 18, 1933. o. MULLER 1,918,482

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING AND SEVERING THE TERMINAL THREADS OF A STITCHED BOOK OR THE LIKE Filed on. 14, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 {WMMM 7/ I I NW I; W I Oskar MJZZer After-hey Patented July 18, 1933 OSKAR MfiLLER, F .LEIPZIG-PLAGWITZ,

GERMANY, assrenon T0 ennaunna BREHMEB OF LEIPZIG-PLAGWITZ, GERMANY, A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF GER- MANY MECHANISM FOR rnmiens or A srrronnn BOOK v Application filed October 14',- 1931;

I The present stitching machines and'has for its obyect to provide improved mechanism for automatically selecting and severingthe interconnecting threads between the completely stitched books of a continuously stitched book-pad such as is produced in certain known types of book-stitching and binding machines.

Although the thread severing mechanlsm according to this invention is applicable to thread stitching machines of any known t pe it is more specifically described herema ter for use in a book stitching' machine of the type employing curved rotating threadstitching needles which are associated with sheet-carriers of the well-known rotary, rise and fall type. v Themain feature of the invention'is the provisionof a thread selecting and guiding member which is so shaped that upon movement when in engagement with the thread to be severed, the said thread is caused to wind around the shaft of the said guiding member and is thus selected and subsequently guided to a suitable thread severing device. Such thread selecting used alone to engage and loop stitchesby means of thread-stitching needles, they may be a sociated with or alternatively thread selectors having hook-ends in order to select and guide vention will now be described in reference to.

drawings in which: of part of a'book-stitching the accompanying Fig. 1 is a view machine of the rotary rise and fall sheetcarrier type incorporating curved, rotating thread-stitching needles and provided with thread selecting and severing mechanism according to this invention sh own in thelocked inoperat ve position. i

Fig. 1a is a view corresponding to Fig. 1' i but showing the position of the thread guiding members and their associated locking Serial No.'568,854, and in Germany invention relates to bookthe. thread to members may be u guide the terminal threads of books stitched with simple chain curved rotating 69. Associated AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING AND SEVERING ran TERMINAL on THE LIKE April 11, 1931.

mechanism during the first part of their reciprocatoryoperativemovement. L

Fig. 2 is a plan viewof-themechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2a is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the position of the automatic locking mechanism when the thread guiding members are completingthe recip rocatory operative movement. I e

Fig. 3is a view lookingin the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 1), showing details of the thread-stitching mechanism and the thread-selector or guide when thelatter memher. is moved forward to engage the thread tobe severed. V i,

Fig. 4' is a viewcorr'esponding'; to Fig. 3, and showing the thread-selector engaging be severed andabout to performitsreturn movement. f

Fig. 5 is a sideview ofuthe details of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

Fig 6 is a corresponding plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4. 1

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to'Figs. 3

. and 4, showing the thread previously engaged by the projectioniat the free extremity of the thread-guiding.- member andv now looped around the shaft of the thread-guidingmem- Fig. 8shows, drawn to a larger scale,the thread-selecting or guiding member provided with an auxiliary thread-guiding projection adapted to engage the terminal thread leading from a rotary sewing needle to the'last .formed stitch.

Fig. 8a is a similar view of the thread-selecting'or guiding member-showing the terminal thread automatically looped around the shaft thereof, and

Fig.9 "is a detail view of means for mount ing the thread-selector or guidingmembers upon their carrier.

Referring more particularly to Figsal and 2, the'boolvbinding machine comprises a a frame 10 in which is mounted, on a vertical shaft 41-, rotary rise and fall sheet-carriers with the sheet-carriers 69 are rotary curved thread-stitching needles 70 adapted to rotate about suitable pivots H.

and upwardly moving she'etpiercing needles I sitioned closely adjacent to the thread lead- 42. Thread-looping members 73 are associated with the stitching needles 70 and the machinefmay also incorporate an auxiliary thread-stitching needle 81 (Figs. 5-and 6) which is utilized when it is desired to provide a stitched book with staggered or cross stitches. The action of and actuating mechanism for the sheet-carriers and thread stitching needles is well-known and since 1t forms no part of the present invention it will not herein be described. I

A needle guide 51, (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted in the machine frame and associated with the rotary stitching needles 70 and piercing needles 42, is formed with transverse grooves in its underside into which enter obliquely set movable thread selectors or guiding members 52, 53.

The latter are each mounted at one extremity upon a horizontal carrier bar 57 to which they are removably attached by means of the cover plate 55 and screws 56 (Fig. 9), and pass through a slotted guide block 54 attached to or forming part of the needle guide 51. These thread-guiding members 52, 53 are positioned so that the free extremities thereof are associated with the stitching needles and extend across-and slightly be- I yond the book positioned for stitching by the said needles. r Y

The shaft of the guiding member 52 is poing upwardly from the last stitched booksection to the rotary sewing needle 7 O and its free extremity is provided with an auxiliary thread guiding projection. 52a. The latter preferably is shaped as a. helically curved wing, the helix extending'from one lateral of the latter member as shown at its free extremity with a hook arrow C, the thread,

.edge of the member 52 to the opposite lateral edge thereof as shown more clearly in Fig. 8. Referring .to the last mentioned figure of the drawings, itwill be seen that if an upwardly extending thread is closely adjacent to one lateral edge of the guiding member 52 and engaged by the auxiliary thread guiding projection as shown,.upon the thread guiding member being moved guided by the auxiliary thread guiding projection 52a will pass around the free extremity of the member 52 and subsequently will pass along the shaft in Fig. 8a.

member 53-is provided ed portion the path of thread car- The thread guiding which is positioned intermediate travel of the staggered or cross ried by the thread-stitching needle 81 from one to the other of the adjacent ing needles (Figs. 5 and 6).

Thread severing blades 78, 79 are mounted vertically on each thread severing member 52, 53 respectively or alternatively av suitable thread severing device is associated with each thread guiding member. r

The carrier bar 57, arranged transversely lever 67 also is provided in the direction of the thread sewto the direction of travel of a stitched book or boolopad nmving in the book-trough 43, is provided .at its extremities with projections 5,8v which preferably are of circular section and pivotally engage in slotted apertures 44 formed in crank-arms or levers a9. ter are rigidly mounted on the horizontal shaft 61 and a lever 60 is also rigidly secured to the said shaft 61. The latter member is journalled in a bearing bracket 61a supported on the machineframe and is thus adapted, when rotated, to" rock the crank-arms 59 whereby the thread guiding members 53 attached to the bar 57 are rcciprocated.

Rocking movement is imparted to the shaft 61 and crank-arn1s 59 through the lever 66. one end of whichis linked to a vertical connectingrod 62 carrying at its lower end a cam follower or roller 63 engaged by an eccentric or cam 64 which is mounted on a drive shaft 45 the latter being positivelydriven'in any conx enient manner from the main drive of the machine. A spiral spring 65 secured to the connecting rod 62 andinaehine frame 4-H, holds the cam follower 63 in engagement with the driving cam 6-l unless prevented from doing so.

Locking means? for. withholding the cam follower 63 from engagement with the cam 64 areprovided'in this machine and are arranged as follows: 1

A lever 66 rigidly secured at one end to the shaft 6lis provided at its freeend with an upwardly projecting finger and a curved nose piece 80. A tripping lever 67 is pivotally mounted at 46 immediately above the path of travel of the free end of the lever 66 and is provided with an abutment 76 adapted, when rocked. about the pivot 46, to engage and depress the finger 7 5 and lever 66. The

with a resilient projection comprisinga pivotally mounted lug or finger 68 engaged bya spring 77which normally holds the said lug against a shoulder formed on the lever 67. i

The lugor finger 68 is so arranged that the curved nose poi ion 80 0f the lever 66 during its movementen'gages one edge of the said lug and so deflects it from the path of the lever 66 which moves to its inoperative position whereupon the lug 68, urged by the spring 77, moves back to its locking position and engages the shoulder 80a of the said lever 66, thereby holding the latter in the locked inoperative position. a

The above described device operates in the following manner:

The individual sheet-sections to be assembled in the form of a stitched book are placed individually upon a sheet-carrier 69 and so positioned beneath the stitching needles 70.

The usual upwardly moving piercing needles 42 pierce the book-section, from below and the rotary sewing needle 70, which rotates about its pivot 74 in a plane parallel to the sides of The .lat-

again throughthe hole '72 where it is and looped in known manner bythe loop ng",

the sheet carrier, carries the thread held 1 thereby through the pierced hole 71 and out 1 caught book is stitched, the operator pushes the lever,

of this move- 67 upwards, the commencement The upward ment being shown! in Fig. 1a.

movement of the lever 67 displaces the pivotal lug68 from its'locking orholding position on the shoulder 80a of thelever 6 6 and the latter is releasediand permitted-to move upwards.

In consequence of the release of the lever 66 the'spring 65. istenabledto pull the cam fol lower 53 down into contact with the constantly drivencam; 64 whereupon the free extremities of the thread guiding members are moved forwardbeyond the thread stitch-l 1' ing needles and then *reciprocatedin accordance with the throw of thecam 64.

The thread guiding members 52, 53 are timed to advance as the sewing, needle 70,

withdrawsthe thread or is about toQwithl v j members 52 andg53, the latter, when "moved draw it from the last stitch forming operation in'the direction of the arrow B (Fig. 3)

The threadguidingmember 52. advances with its auxiliary thread-guidingprojection very close-tothe sewing needle 70 and adja;

cent the needle ,eye now. withdrawing with thethread from the last formed stitch. The

thread, atthis juncture cannotbefcontacted with or touched by the projection 52a, since thethreadruns, in known manner in a groove around the outer curved face of the sewing needle 70. i The curved needle continues to rotate and thus carries thethread upwards. The thread, which constitutes the terminal or; connecting thread of the stitched book asasumes a straight line from the shaft of the" Inember52 to the needle 7 O as the latter continues to lift, and-thus comes to lie behind the thread guiding projection 52a as shown inFig.4. Y r U When the updrawn thread is so positioned, the guiding member 52 is retracted in the completion of its reciprocatory movement, In so retracting, the auxiliary thread gui'd ing projection thread and, as above explained, causes the 'whenthe sewing needle 7 0 said thread, to loop round the shaft of the member 52 and so wind around the saidshaft inserts the first inint of this member.

tremityofthemem'b'er 53 isfmoved into the the cross thread which "stitching and"advance-of *t e book-pad is 5211 engages the updrawn stitch into the foremostsection of the following bookKFig. 7 i i During thecontinued stitching 'off the k t book-pad isprogressed book padtrough 43 and so carries terminal thread aloii "the the looped alongthe shaft of tiio thread- Iguiding member 52 until thesaid thread encounters the cutting edge of; the thread-seven i ingmember 53 jis adapted to perform this operation. 1 r The member 81 iscaused tofeed thethread across the bookback and immediately above it and the" hooked extremity of the thread guiding nemberf53,;in the locked or normal positi] n shown in Fig. 1, is positionedso that the thread passes below it and is not'eng'aged.

As above stated, howeverfwhe'n' the last y I v book is to be stitched or alternativelyan idle'stitch is to be-formed after the stitohingiof the last book-section,

book section of each the member 53 together with the guiding member 52 is :lcausedto "move forward.

Bv reason of the obliqiie position 55";- the plane ofthe cross thread as-tlie'latter is fed from themember 81 durin'g'the lateral move- ],When -the hooked explane of the cro'ss'thread the-latter is passed acrossand rests upon the shaft-otthe said member tory movement of the latter tliread guiding me e 7.

gages and draws therewith to a slight extent,

pushed along the shaft oft-he thread guiding member towards the thread severing member 79jand severed thereon.

During the advance of the guiding members 52, 53, when released from the locking device by the elevation of the lever'67, the lever 66 rigidly mounted on-the rockable shaft61 is raised'asshown in Fig. 1a and the finger 7 5 engages the projection 176 of the lever 67 .and so returns the latter-to its normal inoperative position shownin. Fig. 1.

As the reciprocatory movement of the thread guiding members 52, 53,110W engaging their respective terminal threads,is completed the shaft 61 is by the ram actuated linkage, rocked in'the oppositejdirection and' the lever 53 In the course of the'reciprocao i the hooked extremity thereof endurin the continued i 66 descends. In its descent, the nose-piece 80 thereof engages the edge of the projection or lug 68 and pushes the latter out of its path as shown in, Fig. 2a. The lever .66 is then carried to its normal stationary position clear of the lug 68 and the latter urged by the spring 77 recovers its normal position above the shoulder'80a of the level-66, so locking the latter against movement and withhold- I ,locked positionshown in'Fig. 1, the thread .passes to one side thereof.

. thread severing mechanism is released to movement and is retracted so that the threadabove described;

selecting or guiding member 52 doe's'xnot engage the updrawn terminal; thread'which The said thread "s only engaged when the guiding projection 52d engages the thread as Likewise the threadguiding member 53 is adjacent to but clear ofthe path of the cross or stag ered thread fed by the laterally displaceab e member 81 until similarly released to movement whereupon the forward movement first imparted to the said member 53 places the hooked, free extremity thereof into 7 the path of the cross thread to be severed.

Thus the threadguiding members 52, 53

' also constitute thread-selecting members since 40 stitchedbook, is engaged by the thread guidio nly one of a seriesof threads leading from the book sections to the sewing needles, i. e; the terminal thread. of each. completely I ing members.

In the above description thread severing apparatus for severing one row of chaindoop and cross or staggered stitches has been mo e specifically described, but it will be appreciated that the number. of thread guiding members 52, 53 mounted on the carrier bar 57 will correspond to .the number of stitchcr heads operating in the machine to insert, if re-, quired, a plurality of stitches of each book back.

. I claim for severing the terminal threads of a stitched book or the like, comprising a threadguiding member provided with a projection shaped to form a helical path leading from one side of thesaid thread-guiding membef to the opposite side thereof, means for engaging said projection with a terminal thread to be severed so that the said thread is looped over the said thread-guiding member, and a thread severing device associated with the said thread-guiding member.

across the Width 2. In a hook stitching machine, mechanism for severing the terminal threads of a stitched book or the like, comprising a threadguiding member provided with an auxiliar thread-guiding projection, a second threa guidlng member having a hook atone extremity thereof, means for engaging the first thread-guiding member with the. terminal thread to be severed', means for engaging the second thread-guiding member with an associated terminal thread to be severed, a thread severing device associated I with the first thread-guiding member, and a thread severthread-guiding member having-a hooked ex-- t'emity and adapted to move obliquely-t0 the stitched book, means for engaging the first thread-guiding member with the terminal thread to be severed, means for engaging the second thread-guiding member with an associated terminal thread to be severed, athreadsevering device associated with the first thread-guiding member, and a thread-severing device associated with the second threadgufding member. v v

4. In a book-stitching machine, thread severing mechanism comprising, in combina tion, a rotatable shaft, crank-arms rigidly mounted on said shaft, a transverse carrier bar pivotally held by said crank-arms, at least one thread-guiding member mounted on said carrier bar, a thread severing device associated with the said thread-guiding memher, a rocking lever rigidly mounted on said shaft, a timed cam drive, aconnectin'g'rod linked to said rocking lever, and a cam follower mounted on said connecting rod and resiliently held in engagement withsaid cam drive.

15. In a' book-stitching -machine, thread severing mechanism comprising, in-combination, a rotatab e shaft, crank-arms rigidly mounted on said rotatable shaft, a transverse carrier bar pivot-ally held by said crank arms,

at least one thread guiding member mounted In a'book stitching machine, mechanism on said carrier bar, means for oscillatlng said carrier bar to reciprocate said thread guiding member, a thread, severing device associated with said thread guiding member, means for locking said carrier bar-and thread guiding member against movement, and means for 1 @stitc mounted on said'shaft; actuatingi'mech anismconnected -tosa d rocking arm to rock r the said crank-arms and thereby reciprocate the said.thread guiding-members, means for locking the saidrock ng arm; and thread;

guiding membersa inst -;movement, means or releasingthe. loc ed 1 1iecl'ianism' from the I said lockingmeans', .andfmeans. for. automat ically :enga'gingf' thefsaid thread-seve'rlng Q- mechanismrwith the said locking mechanism,-

12. 1 Ina bookfstitching machine, in combi- -nation,a machine frame, rotary rise and fall -sheet carriers, a book trough associated with said-sheet carriers, curved rotaryl thread 1 stitching needles-positioned, above said book trou h, a needlelguide associated withrsaid hing needles and having its underside 4 formedwith oblique grooves therein, vea

oov je d guide block associated withsaidneer o g1 1ide,"a"bearing bracket attached tojsaid.

' machine. frame, a shaftgjournalled in, said bearing bracket, crankarms. rigidly mounted onfsaidshaft a transverse carrier bar pivot allyheld by said crank-arms, thread-guiding members mounted. at one extremity'upon said carrier b ar and passin through the grooves insaid rbl'o'ck andsaid needle guide to extend beneath}. the said stitching, needles,

means for. rocking saidshaft and said crank 0 arms. and carrier bar to. rec procate said thread-guidingmembers,means for automat+ ically locking against movement the said thread guiding members,meansfor deflect ng said locking means torelease said threadguidingmembers, and means for restoring said lockin means tohthe operative position. 13." Ina oolr s'titching machine, incombi tnation,la machine frame, rise and fall sheet- "carriers mounted in said machine frame,

40 thread'guiding members, .Y thread-severing v membersassociated with said thread-guiding members, means p'rovided on at least one of said thread guidingmembers for guidingjsa-id 1 thread from one longitudinal side to otheopposite longitudinal side of Saidthread-guid-L 'ing member, means for positioning the r thread-engagingextremitiesof said thread guides ad acent} the stitching needles, means i for reciprocating said thread guiding mem- I i'bers, means for timing the reciprocationof said threadguiding members, means for locking'the said threadg'uiding'membersagainst movement, means fordispla'cing said locking meansfr'om the: operative position, means for I I re's'toringsaidllocking means tothe operative position and means for engaging: automaticallythesaidlocking mea'ns and said thread -s severing "device,

14. In abook -stitching 'mach'ine, mecha-- nism' for severing the terminal threads ofa istitched' bookor thelike; comprising a threadguiding member-provided'with' a projection shaped to form a't'hread-gui'ding path leading' from one side of" saidjthread-guidi'ng member to the opposites-ide thereof, means for engaging said prdjectiolijwith a thread positioned to :one sfide of said thread-guiding member so that'said thread becomes looped over saidthreadeg'uiding' member, and a earl-severing device associated with said thread-guiding member. Q 7

15.111 a b Ir-stitching machine, mechanism for severing the terminal threads of a thread-guiding projection, means for engag stitched book or the like, comprising a threadguiding member provided with an auxiliary ing said thread-guiding projection with an updrawn, thread so thatthe latter becomes looped over said'thread-guiding member, and

8, thread-guiding member}; .7 r

16. In abook-stitching machine, mechanism for severing thete'rminal threads of a stitchedbook or the like, comprising a thread-t.

guiding member provided with an auxiliary thread-guidingprojection; means for engaging said thread-guiding projectionwith a thread 'leading from'a 'fOII IIBd Stl tCh so that said thread becomes looped over'said thread I guiding member in the formationof the subsequent stitch, and a thread-severing device operatively associated with said thread-guidingmemberr c we ,r

17. In a book-stitching machine, mechanism for severing the terminal threads of a stitched-bookorthe like, comprisinga threadguidingm'ember provided with an auxiliary thread-guiding projection, means for. engaging said-projeotionwith a-thread so that the latter becomes loopedover said thread-guiding member and progresses along it inde end- .Qently-Of the movement ofthe threadrguiding member, and a .thread-severingdevice; associ- ,ated with said threadhiding member; 18lIn a book-stitchlng machine mechanism for severing the terminal threads ofa stitched book or thelike, including a thread- :guiding device, .which comprises .1 a thread- ,guiding j shaft having an auxiliaryv threadguiding projection extending from it at an angle'to; both the vertical and horizontal fplanes, means for im arting reciprocatory movement to said shag, 'ing device operatively associated with said".

and a thread sever- Ill -19.- 'In abook-stitching machine, sec-anism' for severing the terminal threads of a stitched book or the like, including a threadguiding guiding shaft, an auxiliary thread-guiding projection extending longitudinally of said shaftffrom one extreinity of it atan angle to both'the vertical and'horizontal' planes to form a tapered nose, means for imparting movement to" said shaft, 'anda thread-severd'evicevwh'ich" comprises 'a threadiiig'fdevice operatively vassociated with said QOJIn; a bookstitching machine, mechanism-for severing the terminal threads of a stitched'boo'k' or 'the'like," including a threadnism for severing the terminal threads of astitched book or the like, including a threadguiding device which comprises a thread guiding shaft, having an auxiliarythreadguiding pro ect1on extending from it at an angle to both the vertical and horizontal planes,

- tending from it, a curved rotary ing a threadsevering blade mounted upon said shaft, and means for impartingreciprocatory movement to said shaft.

22. In a book-stitching machine, in combination, a thread-guiding member having an auxiliary thread-guiding proje'ctionexthread-sewing needle adapted to draw a thread to one side of for impartingmovement to said thread-guidmember so that said projection engages said thread to cause the latterto: loo over said thread-guiding member, and a t readsevering device adapted to sev'erthe looped thread. i

said thread-guiding member, means osKAR MULLER. 

